Internal Partners

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As you begin to work within your organization to begin the mobilization effort around early childhood, you will notice the range of resources that are already within your reach. Knowing what building blocks you have, and what strategies are already finding success in your district, with your internal partners, is critical to determining the district’s role in the community wide vision for kindergarten readiness.

Who Are they?

School Board

Superintendents, like you, work with your school boards to be effective, data-driven organizations that drive the community education agenda. Studies have shown that as many as 40 percent of children do not go into an organized setting prior to entering kindergarten. So giving all children an opportunity to succeed cannot simply be the responsibility of any one type of learning program.

School readiness is a community issue. Working with your school board offers a real bully pulpit to set a vision for education achievement that includes early childhood education and kindergarten readiness for all.

The Early Childhood Regional Training Centers (RTC) provide a range of services for the early childhood community including regional trainings/workshops, on-site consultations, lending library of materials, annual statewide and regional collaborative institutes.

You may already be familiar with the Family Resource and Youth Service Centers often called FRYSC. FRYSCs are located in over 800 schools in Kentucky. One expectation of the Family Resource Centers (FRYC’s), who serve the Elementary School population, is to meet the Families in Training component. This component targets new and expectant parents by providing training to enhance parenting skills and information in the areas of child development, nurturing and health for their infants, toddlers and preschool children ages 0 – 5. These trainings help to ensure parents are equipped to be their child’s first teacher, in turn giving the child a solid foundation for Kindergarten.

Kentucky's preschool education programs are available for all four-year-old children whose family income is no more than 160% of poverty; all three and four-year-old children with developmental delays and disabilities, regardless of income; and other four-year- old children as placements are available based on district decision. The preschool program is designed to be developmentally appropriate, focusing on the child's physical, intellectual, social and emotional development, including interpersonal, intrapersonal, and socialization skills for young children.

School-based decision making councils were introduced as a result of the landmark, Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA). These councils are made up of parents, teachers, and lead administrators with authority outlined in statue to enhance student achievement.

How can you partner?

As you begin to work within your organization to begin the mobilization effort around early childhood, you will notice the range of resources that are already within your reach. Knowing what building blocks you have, and what strategies are already finding success in your district, with your internal partners, is critical to determining the district’s role in the community wide vision for kindergarten readiness.

Step 1: Learn about school readiness as a board team. Visit your preschool program, and invite partners and other experts to present at board meetings. Plan a board presentation that shares the whole picture on early childhood development with your board including the Early Childhood Profiles, information about community partners and a deep dive on Brigance data.

Step 2: Encourage partners to participate in Community Early Childhood Councils, and establish a system for report back and continual assessment. Ensure that your families have access to tools like the Governor’s Office of Early Childhood’s Monthly Message and Parent Guides, and increase parent awareness about Kentucky All Stars (STARS). Work with RTCs to support quality early childhood programs with training and partnerships.

Step 3: Work with partners to identify and encourage unregulated providers to get licensed, and those who are licensed, but not participating in the STARS rating system, to participate. At this stage, you may also begin thinking, with your board, about how you can work with allies like Head Start to consider collaborative delivery of preschool. ​